


Down to the River to Drown

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bodily Fluids, Continuation of another fic, Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, alternate ending behind door number 1, daemon noctis, daemon-ish ardyn idk he's already there, noctis is having a hard time, oracle to daemon noctis, selfcest?, some of it is kinda gross idk, thanks ardyn, unfinished blowjobs, will add more tags as time and chapters go on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-10 07:02:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10431801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Straying from a given path, Noctis finds himself at a dead end with only Ardyn there awaiting him. It's too late to do much else, aside from give in to the influence the man exudes and accept his fate as he becomes one like him.





	1. Falling

**Author's Note:**

> As the tags say, alternate ending to this fic: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9595778/chapters/21685955  
> It would probably help if you read it to kind of get the gist of what's happening, but events from here take place from the train scene and onward if you just want some good 'ol ArdyNoct.

The atmosphere of the train chilled when Noctis locked eyes with Ardyn's. He grinned from ear to ear, a deep purr in his voice as he leaned closer to an incapacitated Noctis clutched tight in his hands. 

“I was going to have _so much_ fun with you. But this changes things, and for the better, I think. What say you, dear Noct? I _can_ call you that now, right?” Ardyn leaned back, his fingertips brushing along the bulge of muscle in Noctis's arms. They sent a shiver down his skin, Ardyn's blunt fingernails tracing idle designs into his flesh that left behind a diaphanous trail of black in their wake. 

Noctis twitched as Ardyn's hands reached his own, and the bile in his throat rose to his mouth as he felt their fingers lace together. “We're not even in Tenebrae yet, you know. You could come with me now, and I can help you with your little problem. I, too, know what it's like to suffer so. You're just a poor boy, shivering, all alone, ready to claw your way out of your skin...” 

Ardyn's eyes dipped low, to Noctis's lips, where they lingered. Noctis attempted a pull away from him, his body trembling and his nerves screaming at him to _run,_ yet... 

A haze trickled down behind his eyes like some drug, turning his vision turbid and dragging him down by the claws it had wrapped around his throat. Noctis could feel the world sway out from underneath his feet, felt his body turn to dead weight as he fell forward into Ardyn's waiting embrace. 

“Ah, there's a good boy, my Prince. I was so _sure_ you'd say yes. Would you like one last word with your friends before we're off...?” Ardyn pushed Noctis out at arm's length, turning him ever so slightly in his seat. Noctis's head lolled to the side, everything in his line of sight reminiscent of being covered in fur. He couldn't tell the floor from the ceiling any longer, and the last thing he remembered was blinking his eyes shut as Ardyn wrapped his arms around his thin frame once more, a voice calling out to him from the growing darkness enveloping him. 

__

When next Noctis woke, he was on the cold, hard floor of a room swathed in darkness. A single light guttered above him, casting what little light it could manage on the gunmetal walls around him. Hard indentations upon the floor bit into his cheek. Noctis forced himself onto a shaky elbow, glancing around the room with unfocused eyes in a desperate attempt to make sense of his surroundings. 

All was quiet, aside from the steady hum of electricity being fed to the light above him. It was a loud, grating noise, and Noctis covered an ear to block out the loud, grating noise as he used the rest of his uncooperative limbs to heft himself up onto his knees. The sound of his clothes rustling against the floor helped fill the leftover silence, and he took comfort in the noise as he steadied himself. 

Cold. Everything was cold. So, so _cold._

The shock of the moment passed and the icy clutches of the room hit Noctis like a truck. A violent shiver wracked its way down his spine and he _gasped,_ his thin arms wrapping tight around his middle as his teeth created a symphony of clacking enamel. 

He looked around himself rather desperately, fighting past the shimmering cloud in his vision to look for something that could help him. It didn't seem there was much of anything in there to keep him company, though; the lamp's light above him only offered solace in harsh, fluorescent light for about two seconds at a time, before it completely vanished and sent the room sputtering into darkness again. 

Noctis could make out a door to his front, at the very least. The room itself was no bigger than the size of a bathroom, and one final sweep confirmed there was nothing but himself in there. Noctis sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as he rocked himself back and forth, back and forth on the cold, hard floor. 

The most important thing, he supposed? Remembering not to panic. 

Even when his own weapons seemed to fail him at his very fingertips. He was weak, and he was shivering like a leaf in a hurricane, but even so, he should have been able to summon the faintest glimmer of his Armiger. 

Noctis steadied himself, but he kept to his rear on the floor. Standing right now would only lead to an accidental spill, and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. He already felt concussed enough as it was. Nonetheless, he took a deep breath, rapidly blinking the vision away from his eyes. A heavy fog still clung to the fronts of them, refusing to dissipate and allow him to focus on what was in front of himself. He felt like a spider, where one arm should have been replaced by four, his vision swimming bringing them along for the ride. He blinked hard, and he focused on breathing, but no matter his efforts, he just couldn't swing the right arm and muster the strength to summon his sword. 

The air sparkled and fizzled out in front of him, but that was only from the lamp finally blowing out in a brilliant, shattered rain of sparkling glass. 

Noctis heaved a sigh. This was great. 

He leaned back instead, and fell through the air when he realized he had no support behind himself. His fogged head hit the steel with a sickening _crack,_ and he flinched upright as he rubbed at the back of his skull with numb fingers. Great. _Just_ great. 

With great effort, Noctis sat back down and turned to focus on himself instead. He was still in his usual clothes, though his jacket had a tear in the tail that laced a stream of frayed seams and broken dreams. He fingered the hanging strings rather forlornly, a greater sadness settling in his gut than he could have ever imagined feeling over a dumb coat. 

If he could find his way out of this room, he'd have to ask Ignis to fix it, somehow. It was his favorite piece of clothing, after all. 

...Speaking of, Noctis had been a train with the others, hadn't he? 

It felt like some years ago, with the way his head pounded and danced an elusive circle around his consciousness. He _was_ pretty sure he'd been on his way to Tenebrae, though, to...

...To do what? 

An excruciating pain carved its way along the left side of Noctis's head, and he decided it was best to let that rabbit go for the moment. At least he remembered his name, and the general purpose of his self-inflicted mission.

Yeah...at least he remembered that much. He shook his head and attempted to focus some more, resting his forehead against his dirtied hands and cradling it there in his palms. The cold in the room had less of a bite to it now, but the sluggish feeling in the front of his head seemed to persist as it lingered behind his eyelids. 

He took a deep breath and counted down from the obvious: one, his name was Noctis Lucis Caelum; two, he'd been on his way to Tenebrae with the others; three, the last thing he remembered was-

Noctis jolted upright. 

_Ardyn._

The last thing he remembered was Ardyn. He remembered the man's smile, and the sickeningly sweet stench to his breath as his lips lingered close to Noctis's. He remembered Ardyn's words, and he remembered the man's hands and how they seemed to send him reeling into a pit of sluggish despair.

Clumsily, Noctis reached behind himself and patted around for his phone. He could already tell it was going to be useless in here, but a better source of light was, hopefully, going to help speed up the process of getting out of there and finding the others again. 

Luckily he felt the familiar outline in his back pocket, and with clumsy fingers, he dug it out from the depths of his pants. He dropped it once, flinching at the sound of plastic hitting metal and ringing through the air with a defining _crunch._ He clapped his hands to the ground, chasing after it frantically before it was lost to the dark depths of the room for good. 

Fingers wrapped around it, holding tight, and Noctis finally dragged his thumb across the cracked screen and checked the time. 

9:02pm. 

32% remaining on his battery. 

He hissed in air between his teeth, and he sucked the taste of sleep and dried saliva from them slowly. This would have to do. He took only a quick moment to turn the flashlight on and sweep it about the room to get a better handle on his surroundings. It really was just a simple room, rusted openings pierced into the walls where objects or furniture once hung. It was almost like a jail cell, but Noctis swallowed that unpleasant thought down as he turned the light to himself. 

Inky markings swirled against the flesh of his arms, crawling high into his neck and lacing along his shoulders, reminiscent of Gladio's tattoos. He shuddered as he looked them over, nausea replacing the sense of panic, fear, and urgency in his gut. 

What in the hells had Ardyn done to him? 

He felt like he'd took the plunge and drank the tribute offered from a stranger, only to get roofied and tossed aside once he was conscious again. 

...But when he thought about it, it wasn't that far fetched to think Ardyn might actually do something like that. 

Noctis hurriedly pushed the thought away, turning his flashlight off with shaking fingers. He focused instead on rubbing some feeling back into his cold, numbed arms, working them as fast as his hands could manage. His fingers felt like swollen sausages, his nails unusually sharp and cruel against his skin. 

All sensations he ignored as he finally stumbled to his feet. The few meters to the door felt like an eternity before his shoulder hit the frame, sending a shock through his system that almost brought him to his knees again. Despite feeling numb all over, his nerves felt like they were exposed to the outside, rubbed and twisted and _burning._

A whimper slipped past his lips as he fumbled with the doorknob. 

He didn't know what he expected, but he certainly hadn't expected it to turn with this much ease. Freshly oiled and with barely a sound, the door swung open and sent Noctis tumbling into the hallway that awaited him outside. 

The very same shoulder he'd just just irritated hit the floor, all of his weight piled on top of it, wrenching a _scream_ from his throat. Noctis's body curled inward on instinct, and he chewed at the shame in his mouth as he just _held_ himself. The blood had rushed to his head in the few moments he'd been standing, and colors flared before his eyes in chrysanthemum petals, blocking his vision entirely from himself. 

It was a few good moments before Noctis had himself all together again. He'd bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the unpleasant tang of copper filling his mouth as he heaved himself to his feet. The wall became a remarkable support, and with both hands outstretched before him, Noctis warily treaded the path laid out before him. 

The same electric hum from the room where he'd been was still present in the walls. Noctis's footsteps offered it a beat as he clambered on, sweat beading upon his forehead and matting his hair, sticking to his skin and getting in his eyes. Between that and the fuzz in his vision, it was incredibly hard to see even just a foot in front of himself. He tripped over wires and bit the dust on multiple occasions, his canine piercing a hole through his lip as he crashed onto his jaw. 

The pain was excruciating, and it rendered Noctis immobile as he hit the ground for the fourth time. 

“What's the matter, Noct?” came a voice from overhead, a static mingling with the deep, unmistakeable drone of Ardyn's voice. 

Adrenaline seized his heart and Noctis sat upright, almost to his feet before a cough gripped his lungs. 

“Ah-ah! You shouldn't move too quickly, now, you're not looking too good. This isn't some fun, relaxing outing with your friends, oh _no._ If _I_ were you, I would want to take things nice and slow...” Ardyn chuckled, and Noctis stifled the noises of his cough into the palm of a hand. 

When he brought it away from his mouth, a thick, black fluid pooled into the center of his hand. It glistened in the low, blue lights of the hallway, and Noctis stared at it in horror as the same substance dribbled down his chin. 

“What the hell have you _done_ to me?” he called out, a grit to his voice that irritated the lining of his throat. Ardyn tittered over the speakers, a moment of silence passing as he waited for Noctis to finish his newest spasm. 

“Ah,” he started when Noctis gasped for air, “if you can find me, I'll help with that. Just like I promised, no? I'm only a short ways away. Just keep following the path, Noct.” 

With a click, the air was silent, and Noctis knew he wouldn't be able to protest even if he'd wanted to. A thick sludge had exhumed its way from the pits of his stomach, and the stench sent him recoiling a few feet down the corridor. Nausea lingered like a fever, and Noctis found himself stopping every few feet to expel that same thick, black substance from his mouth and nose. 

Six above, he felt like he was _dying._

He hit the wall and clung to it, his chest heaving as he fought for air. A headache pounded at the side of his head now, loud and angry and making his vision pulse to the beat it offered. The room spun, and he threatened to pass out, but he held tight and refused to succumb to the sensation. He wouldn't do it there, refused to let himself be left even more vulnerable out in the open.

Sliding down the wall, Noctis managed to turn himself around, his back flush against the cool metal. It offered some relief for his burning skin, though it was a minor distraction amongst the plethora of his other issues. His limbs ached, and his mouth felt like sandpaper, his tongue sticking to the roof of it and insisting he taste that same bile from before over and over again. It sent a shudder down his spine and he dry heaved at the taste alone, but he forced himself to focus and ignore it.

With a deep breath to clear his head, Noctis sat and contemplated his decisions for a while. On one hand, he could attempt to stumble his way out of there and try to avoid Ardyn entirely. 

But if this were the Ardyn the man was shaping himself up to be, he probably had the place rigged so Noctis would find his way to him eventually, anyway. That didn't leave much choice in trying to find a way out, and the idea left him bitter and _frustrated._ He was already confused enough over what was happening to him; the black was spreading steadily through his bloodstream, staining his skin and turning it almost translucent. Every time he looked at it, panic rose to the roof of his mouth and suffocated him, and knowing he was at the complete mercy of a stranger only made it worse.

Noctis wasn't entirely sure he could trust the man's words, either. He went on about having a solution for his problems, but was that true? After all, these...symptoms hadn't even shown themselves until after Ardyn made contact with him on the train. Ardyn probably made Noctis like this on purpose, but for what reason, Noctis just didn't _know._

Noctis's head only ached all the worse, the more he thought about it. He groaned, leaning his temple against a hand as he desperately thought of a plan. Walking into Ardyn's outstretched hands was the last thing he wanted to do, but at the moment, with no idea where he was nor what was happening to him, it was the best, and only, option he had. 

His eyes felt heavy and his limbs protested the idea, but Noctis dragged himself upright again, his hands pressed to the wall beside him. He'd play along, but only for now. The moment it looked like he had a chance to run, he was taking it. 

With a shaky resolution sealed away inside of himself, he felt slightly better. A familiar flame of determination licked at the inside of his breastbone and his heart swelled, but he was pretty sure that could have just been a byproduct of feeling like absolute shit, too. 

In fact, he was pretty sure he was experiencing some palpitations, now. 

He swallowed hard around his thick tongue, doing his best to ignore the feeling of his rising hysteria. At the very least, his vision seemed to have returned to semi-normal in a moment of blessed euphoria. The hallway was less of a zigzag and more of a linear path now, and the lights were less harsh against his flared pupils. They didn't offer much in the way of proper lighting, blinking in merry shades of blues, reds, and greens instead, but they helped dot a path that Noctis confined himself to following for the time being. 

On he went, tripping over himself and nearly collapsing for good quite a few times, but he persevered. He didn't know if it was just him or if the hallway was actually the entire length of Insomnia's perimeter, but it sure felt like it to his weary legs. Noctis lost track of the time and quit counting the lights as he went, his vision clouding over again as his hobbling turned into forced fumbling. His phone weighed heavy in his pocket, but he was sure there wouldn't be much of a signal out here as there was in the room. Besides, saving what little life it held was more important. 

Finally, a split path came into view. Noctis approached it slowly, his heavy eyes looking down one corridor, and then the other. They both looked exactly the same, and frustration bubbled in his core as he fought inwardly with himself over which path was going to be the best one to take.

“It seems you've reached a bit of a conundrum,” Ardyn piped up, his voice sending a shock through Noctis's system. “I _could_ give you a hint. One path holds a refuge, while the other holds a dead end and a dear friend of mine. He's not as friendly as the safe room I've put together for you, though. And ah, about that hint...there's always been a general rule of thumb about mazes, correct me if I'm wrong? If you follow the left wall, it'll lead you to the exit, perhaps...?” 

And with another click, Ardyn's voice disappeared into the dark depths of the hallways. Noctis scoffed as he looked down them, keen on brushing Ardyn's _advice_ off, but...he actually did have a point. Noctis vaguely remembered sitting with Ignis in his childhood, idly doing puzzles with him out on the veranda. Except instead of the left side, it was the right...right? 

Either way, Noctis could only assume he was fucked no matter which path he chose. He took a deep breath and dragged himself around the corner, watching his feet fumble as they hit the ground. Not a sound could be heard, and Ardyn had apparently decided to keep quiet about his decision. It was for the best, too; Ardyn's voice wasn't exactly helping his growing headache.

Still, with a limp that nearly sent him to the floor with each step he took, and a piercing pain running down his spine, there wasn't much he could do about anything at all. Noctis held himself with an arm wrapped loosely around his middle, the other still supporting him on the wall. His head lulled and his vision went from two floors to one, back to two and one again, but he pushed on. A dry hum resonated in his throat, adopting the rhythm of a lullaby his father once sang to him in times of distress and pain when he was younger. He sounded more like a dying bird at the moment, but it still helped soothed a nerve or two as he recalled fond memories and forced himself to walk along. 

Eventually, his arm dipped into a crevice set into the wall. Noctis slowed his pace and lifted his head, and he was met with a door that beeped and flashed rather ominously at him. He watched it warily, stepping backwards with his arms over his face as it opened with a rush of hydraulics. 

Noctis kept still, eyes squeezed shut...but nothing jumped out at him. The jarring glow of a bright, white light washed out from inside of the room, illuminating thin, skeletal frames of what appeared to be bunk beds. Instinct, eager for a chance to rest and sit down for a moment, took over Noctis's legs and he stumbled inside, and the door shut behind him with a gentle _whoosh._

Nothing stirred at the very least as Noctis flopped down onto a bed, his frame hitting the solid surface of a cheap, thin mattress. Despite what objectively felt worse than the stone-hard surfaces of the havens, the bed felt like utter, blissful heaven at the moment, and Noctis melted into the sheets with an arm thrown over his head. 

His entire body trembled from the exertion of the walk, and it seemed to be grateful for the fact he'd finally _stopped moving._ Ironically enough his stomach rumbled, but a quick glance around the room proved there was nothing more than just beds in here. 

Ah, well, he'd gone longer without eating before...but water, and finding it soon, was something he'd need to prioritize. His head felt like it was splitting in two, and his tongue adopted the gross, fuzzy terrain of a cat's ass. It tasted like one, too. 

Noctis grimaced, slowly patting his pockets for some kind of relief. Nothing came to him, though, and a pout plucked at his lips as he stared at the underside of the bed above him. Maybe if Ardyn really wanted him alive for something, he could ask for something. He doubted Ardyn would comply, but...

Noctis narrowed his eyes, clearing his throat weakly. “I don't know if you're listening, but some hospitality would be nice. At least some water, or something...” 

Any insult he wanted to tack on died in his throat, and Noctis shook his head as he pressed it against the papery pillow underneath him. This was stupid. Ardyn wasn't going to help with anything; hells, Noctis didn't doubt that if he fell asleep right there, he'd probably wake up somewhere else entirely, even farther away from his goal than he was before. 

But, it wasn't like he could help that, either. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his chest and clutched at his eyelids, dragging them down against their will. Staying awake should have been a priority, and it _was,_ but it seemed determined to be an impossible one. 

With greater effort than it should have taken, Noctis forced himself upright and leaned against the wall instead. It was a little less comfortable, and it offered a little more of that same, cooling feeling against his skin. Noctis felt like he was getting sun-dried in a desert. That was something he might have actually preferred in the long run; a desert meant a guaranteed way out, and he was pretty sure a desert wouldn't sound like it had something heavy walking its hallways. 

The door, thankfully, didn't signal its beeping sound and kept itself closed, but Noctis could hear something lingering outside of it. It hit the floor heavily with a metallic clang with each step it took, and it filled Noctis with a sense of unease each time he heard it. It seemed keen on stopping outside of the door and lingering, like it was waiting, like it knew he was in there. 

Noctis didn't think he'd be leaving any time soon. Not that he wanted to, but if there were enemies in this place that he could possibly run into a scuffle with, he'd prefer to avoid that entirely. His father's ring still weighed heavily in his pocket, whispering faintly to his ears, but even that wasn't a guaranteed solution. In his current condition, the ring could end up burning him alive, and that wasn't exactly something he favored at the moment either. 

So he was stuck. Noctis sighed wearily, leaning his head against the wall as he listened to the creature move outside. It dragged itself along, the grating sound of metal against metal playing at Noctis's nerves, but he got used to it after a while. He had faith the door wouldn't open, but it would have been nice to dim the lights a little. 

Beggars couldn't be choosers though. Noctis slapped at his cheek as he looked around the room once more, noting what seemed to be a storage closet of some kind sitting in the corner. Maybe if he had to, and if he could manage it, he could hide in there. 

The mere idea of that just made him all the more tired, though. How the hell had he managed to stay awake for so long? This was a feat in itself, and one Noctis kind of wanted to end. He didn't feel safe sleeping here at all, but Ardyn seemed to be keeping his distance, and again...the room seemed to be safe enough. 

Noctis kicked his shoes off, letting them fall to the floor with a dull thud. He dragged his jacket off of his shoulders, and he gave himself one last glance before he slipped underneath the musty sheets. The black seemed to have stilled for the moment, though the ends of its inky tendrils seemed to swirl, swaying back and forth underneath his skin like seaweed in the dark depths of the ocean. 

Noctis swallowed hard, the palms of his hands rubbing anxiously at his forearms. At least it didn't hurt. He felt very numbed, and heavier, almost, but at least he wasn't in too much pain. His stomach had settled for the moment it seemed, and lying down gave his bones a chance to relax and quit their own aching. The only pain he felt was still slashed against his back, burning and angry, but even it was a dull thud at the moment as he lay there, doing his best to ignore it. 

The warmth of the bed quickly enveloped him, and Noctis could feel himself drifting off faster than he'd ever done so before. He didn't remember much when it happened, but a voice as smooth as silk seemed to be talking to him, soothing his agitated and anxious nerves. 

“Oho, good night, my sweet prince,” Ardyn purred, a deeper tone to the faux-sweet one he was currently using, “and sweet dreams. When you wake up, I'll have a surprise for you.”

The words seemed to resonate in his dream. 

Noctis found himself in the meadow from before, but this time around, it was darker. The flowers no longer glimmered in the moonlight, and the stars no longer sang their song and whispered their praises to his ears. 

No, the sky was entirely black, the moon and the shining specks of the stars completely blotted out. A cold breeze blew through the grass instead, and slowly, one by one, the flowers shattered around him. 

Noctis watched in despair, and he fell to his knees as he reached the center of the meadow. He couldn't explain the feeling of utter _sorrow_ he felt in his heart, like he couldn't help but feel like he'd been too late. Like he was supposed to be there, doing...

Doing what? Helping himself? Helping others? 

Or was he truly supposed to be there for Luna's sake, to fulfill her last dying wish she had asked of him?

He didn't know, but somehow he did know he had failed. The meadow was cold and lifeless around him now, a dark, swirling mist emerging from the trees and snuffing the lights in their depths entirely. All was quiet, eerily so, and it settled heavily upon his ears as he turned his gaze skyward.

A hand clasped the front of his face and tugged Noctis backwards, and he felt himself suddenly falling through the ground. It opened around him, a monstrous maw that seemed eager to eat him, to swallow him whole. Panic clutched Noctis's heart as everything fell away, and he flung his arms out, desperate to catch something, _anything_ to hold on to. 

A flash of red appeared, and Ignis was there, holding onto his arm as he yelled something at Noctis. But Noctis couldn't hear him, nor could he make out what Ignis was trying to say. His presence was comforting, yet confusing. Ignis tried to say something else, but as he was met with silence, his grip slackened. 

Noctis yelled out, shaking his head. But Ignis had let him go, and Noctis was falling down, down, down...

And into the arms of Ardyn. 

His face hovered over his, a grin splitting his rugged features in two. Teeth the size of Noctis's fingers lined his gums, a bright white that glistened with red at their tips. Ardyn's yellow eyes turned black and hollowed out, and Noctis screamed as he lunged down for his throat. 

Noctis woke with a jolt, his voice cutting off abruptly as his eyes locked with those of two glowing red pinpricks in the sudden darkness.


	2. Run, Run Away

Noctis lurched and hit the cold floor. Without thinking, he was on his feet, rushing through the door from last night, already open and unresponsive. That was fine by him; the thing that had been near the bed screeched in anger, and Noctis could hear an erratic, frantic thumping on the floor as it chased after him. 

Red lights flashed at the corners of his vision, and his chest heaved and his legs burned at the sudden movement. Adrenaline soothed his hurts and kept him moving forward, though, offering a blank canvas of the mind to work with instead. 

Noctis hauled himself down the hallway, praying for an exit to lie at the end of the turn he'd taken. He vaguely remembered Ardyn talking about a dead end, but that was a situation that required too much spare energy to think about at the moment. 

Or so Noctis thought. He wasn't getting off that easy, apparently. 

He met the end of the hallway and came to a skidding halt, catching himself on outstretched arms that hit the wall with a violent impact. A shock coursed from his palms to the very soles of his feet and he _shuddered,_ his vision turning momentarily black. Noctis gasped and fought the urge to fall to his knees, holding his shaking arms against his chest instead as he pressed himself against the wall. The faint sound of that...that _thing_ could be heard in the distance, and Noctis shook his head and forced the room to quit spinning as he looked around. The lights were completely out now, and he didn't have the option to scour the walls with his hands anymore. He was utterly in the dark, and he swung himself around with wide eyes as he attempted to look for something, _anything_ that could be his ticket out of there. 

The thing in the distance howled, inhuman and daemonic, and ice blossomed out against the length of Noctis's spine as he listened to it. It was like static mixed in the radio silence of a loved one once lost to the void. It wrought tears from his eyes, thick and heavy and oddly slimy against his cheeks, a sensation he ignored as he gasped for air, turning in place and shouldering himself against the wall. 

The noise of the creature's furious wailing was getting closer, and Noctis had cornered himself. His heart hammered at his breastbone, slipping down underneath his ribcage and threatening a spasm from his stomach. Noctis heaved and clamped a hand over his mouth, his vision blurring against the darkness of the hallway. His eyes and nose both leaked, his lips trembling, his entire body wracked with tremors. Fear engulfed him with a choking grasp around his neck, and he gasped for air as he desperately fought with himself to think of a plan. 

But just like that, Ardyn's voice rang out crystal clear, calm and soothing and almost in his ear. 

“Oh, my poor, sweet little bird,” it hummed, a tone to the voice that made Noctis want to cry harder. 

“I assure you, I didn't know it'd actually find a way _in._ It was hardly my intention to have such a valued, honored guest be...troubled so, by such a mundane plaything. Would you like me help you out, my dear Noct?” 

Noctis gasped through his fingers, but he didn't argue. He didn't say anything at all, shaking his head as he slid down the wall. This was awful, this was the _worst,_ and he'd sooner accept death than accept any of Ardyn's help. 

As it were, though, dying hurt. A lot. Something akin to mucus was building at the corners of his eyes, spreading out along the lids and threatening to glue his eyes shut every time he blinked. Tears were no longer tears, thick and oleaginous as they clung to his skin. The same stuff was leaking from his nose, mucky and smeared across his upper lip, dipping into his mouth where the tip of his tongue fluttered out against it. 

The taste alone finally doubled him over, and Noctis held his stomach tight as more of the strange, black substance evacuated itself from inside of him. It fell to the floor in a heap, congealed and juddering like an after-dinner jelly dessert. 

An unfortunate image, flashing across his mind as his stomach hit the roof of his mouth. 

Ardyn cooed, a soft click of his tongue sounding gently in his ear. “Noct, _sweetheart,_ all you have to do is just say please. If you can do that much, I'll open the door that's right next to you, and we can see about aiding that affliction of yours.” 

Noctis banged the side of his fist against the wall, drowning out Ardyn's voice with the dull sound of the collision. It didn't help much, but it gave him something else to listen to as he kept beating against the side of the wall, his fingers splaying out against the steel as he desperately sought out a button. 

“Noct,” Ardyn spoke up, "I don't believe you know how this place works, do you? Everything is automated, for...ah, well, you need not worry about that right now. But you'll find nothing of use, nothing to override any commands unless you happen to be at a computer terminal.” He chuckled, and Noctis heard the sound of rustling cloth. It mingled with the footsteps of the creature down the hallway, and they were getting louder by the second. Noctis needed to do something, but he...he... 

He just couldn't. Urgency and a sense of self-preservation practically _pushed_ the word from his lips, tears dripping down every letter and syllable as he spilled them to the cold, damp air. “ _Please,_ ” he breathed, propping himself against the wall with a shake of his head. “Please, just let me in...” 

A cry from the very bottom of the seven hells resounded in the hallway, echoing back and forth and playing with itself as it wrapped around Noctis. He jumped, choking on a sob as he was met with those glowing, red eyes at the end of the hallway. They were nearly face to face before Noctis felt his support disappear, before he was blinded by the sudden lighting of a newer, more brightly-lit room. 

The creature roared as the door slammed shut on its face, and the clatter of something falling to the floor followed with a dull _thud._ Noctis blinked, his eyes aching as they adjusted to the harsh glow of white lights set into the ceiling. He looked around, shuddering wearily as he looked to the fallen arm of the creature at his side. It twitched, disembodied as it was, and Noctis could hear the thing still crying outside the door. It made him all the more eager to get away. 

Noctis dragged himself to his feet, somehow. At this point he might as well have just started crawling everywhere, but pride still managed to keep him somewhat upright. He may have had to depend on Ardyn for a way out of there, but he wasn't going to let the bastard see him in a worse state than he already was. He refused to just lie down and give up. Ardyn was probably getting off on all of this, and Noctis was determined to keep as much satisfaction away from him as possible. 

He dragged himself forward, each breath he heaved feeling like a knife to the chest. The room he currently found himself in was wide, tall and empty, and only offered a single exit on the other side of the room. In all actuality, it wasn't terribly far away. But Noctis's vision continued to blur, and the door swam in and out of focus and made it impossible to tell just how far away it actually was. The edges of his sight adopted a darker hue, something a little more permanent than what he'd been experiencing before. The lights seemed to cut into his very irises, and he dug the heel of a palm into the corner of his eye as he trudged forward. 

Eventually he hit the far side, and he waited before the door impatiently. 

A second passed. 

And then another. 

Three seconds quickly turned into a minute, and he sighed irritably as he let another one pass. 

“Open the damn door, Ardyn!” he cried out, the dry scrape of his voice catching in his mouth. He coughed into a hand, using his free arm to support himself on the wall. “I'm _tired_ of this, just open the damn do-” 

It slid open with a grating squeal, and Noctis immediately covered his ears. The sound dug into his bones and dug its fingers into every wound slashed into his body, and he shuddered involuntarily as he waited for it to stop. 

Slowly, wordlessly, another hallway was revealed to him. 

Darker than the room he was in, it lay before him in one straight line

Noctis was...beyond irritated, at this point. He hovered in the doorway, leaning against its side as he peered out at the length of walkway before him. He could see the end, even with his eyesight the way it was, and the lack of _anything_ had him on edge. 

“This way should be much more secure,” Ardyn hummed, a faint static to the radio he was talking over. “If you're willing to trust me, there's a nicer room just beyond that door... A chance to sit down and recollect yourself, perhaps.” He chuckled darkly, and his voice faded away. Noctis shook his head, glancing behind himself at the other door. The creature still threw itself against it, and a visible dent could be seen upon the surface. Noctis grimaced, swinging his gaze slowly back to the hallway he faced. 

Again, he had no choice but to trust Ardyn. Instinct was practically beating him unconscious and yelling at him to _not do that,_ but he really had no other choice. Ardyn exuded some sick gravitational pull, and Noctis was a helpless, lesser moon as he was tugged in against his will. 

Noctis breathed in, long and hard, until it ached. He steeled himself for the inevitable, praying to whatever god might have been listening as he walked. Whatever lay beyond that door was a complete mystery, and he could only hope it'd just be something he could deal with, whatever it may be. 

Ironically enough, the trek from the current room to the next only seemed to last about three seconds at the most. He found himself at the far door before he even knew what to do with himself, and he paused, every muscle in his body tense as he waited for the door to open. It beeped at him, the noise echoing down the hallway. One, two, three beeps later and the door opened in a rush of steam, and Ardyn's voice sounded over the intercom from inside the new room. 

“Good boy,” he murmured, the door slipping quietly shut behind Noctis. He noted the lights turned red, and no matter how long he stood there, the door refused to budge for him. 

Great. 

Noctis exhaled wearily, letting his gaze roam the room. To his surprise, Ardyn had...actually not been lying. 

He'd stumbled upon some office, blackened monitors nailed to the walls and revealing nothing to him. The lights were as dark as the ones out in the hallway, but he relished in the feeling of his eyes relaxing, his pupils dilating and ceasing their ache. Everything seemed to have a pinkish red glow about it, but he ignored it for the moment as he spotted an actual vending machine in the corner of the room. 

He rushed over to it, his palms flat against the glass surface that comprised its front. Excitement quickly dwindled into disappointment as he gazed into its depths, though, and he cursed inwardly as he looked to the slots upon its front. Just like with anything, it needed its currency to function properly. He swallowed a bitter pill of resentment, but he set himself on a different task as he started rummaging through the room's desks and drawers. If this place had been quickly abandoned, there had to be something useful left for him here. 

A quick scan of the most obvious drawers and desks revealed a few bills and coins to him. Someone had an entire envelope stashed with cash, and while Noctis felt a little bad taking it, he quickly claimed it as his own before hurrying back over to the vending machine. 

Its neon-blue light graced the concrete floor before it, offering a subtle, comforting glow for Noctis to stand in. It was actually nice to look at, while the surface of the actual machine just made his eyes hurt. He kept his gaze to the ground as he wrangled for a simple bottle of water, and he clutched the plastic tight in his fist the moment it hit the bottom of the machine. 

Plastic crinkled and Noctis drank like he'd been lost in the desert for a year. It mingled something awful with the film clinging to his tongue, but his head and his body both felt a little lighter once he forced himself to swallow it down. His stomach immediately felt like rejecting the fluids, but he sat down on the floor, his back to the vending machine as he took the moment to breathe. 

Okay. So maybe there had been a small refuge in here, but now he was stuck. Again. Ardyn had gone quiet on him once more, and Noctis figured it was going to be a while before he heard his voice again. 

It...actually pained him. 

Being away from the others was an entirely different thing on its own. Not having anyone there to lean on, to ask for help, or even just bask in their comforting warmth was hitting him hard. Noctis still felt so _heavy,_ and every breath he took was deep and ragged. The slimy, mucus-y substance had woven a web inside of his chest, and his cough was wet and heavy each time it shook the inside of his ribcage. His lungs strained and he just _hurt,_ and his vision continued to darken on him and offer nothing more than the obvious lights in the room. 

Skin prickled at the realization that he, too, might be going blind. It scared the fuck out of him, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in Ignis's arms and feel the warmth of his core against his skin. Ignis was his guiding fire, the light at the end of the tunnel that at least guaranteed something safe, something good. But he was gone, and Noctis was a wounded animal dragging its entrails behind itself as it slowly died in the forest. 

His guiding fire had gone out of control and become something else entirely. Among the leftover ashes it had left behind was where...

Where _Noctis_ stood, a crooked smile and glowing eyes that sparkled underneath his heavy bangs, feigning sympathy.

“Oh, there, there,” the other Noctis murmured, a very physical hand reaching out to stroke his cheek. He jumped and scooted away, his back hitting the vending machine and putting an end to his pitiful escape. Somehow, he... _he_ had wandered right in the room where Noctis was. He hadn't even heard the doors open, and considering Noctis was looking right at himself, the only logical conclusion was that he was hallucinating all of this. 

Yet that touch felt so real. The other Noctis's fingers slid along his cheek, a thumb brushing against his lips. It pushed past them, easing its way into Noctis's mouth where it lingered upon his tongue. It tasted salty, musky, and it was, ironically, a welcome change to the vile tang the blackness left behind. 

Yet this was wrong. Noctis recoiled away from himself, shaking his head. “No,” he rasped, pushing the other Noctis away with his arms. “You're not real! None of this real, and you need to...you need to go away.” 

The other Noctis leaned back, yet that same smile lingered on his plush lips. They were so soft, and he looked so _normal._ Everything Noctis was, had been, and everything he wanted to be again. Jealousy rose in the back of his throat like heart burn, searing his esophagus as he looked to the floor. 

“Just go away.” 

“But Noct, I promised I'd help you,” his own voice purred, deep and gentle as it washed over him like the ebb and flow of a lake. Noctis didn't really know what he had expected, yet hearing himself almost helped, like he was listening to a soothing lullaby. Especially compared to his own ragged and broken voice. Yet still he remained wary, pressed flush against the vending machine as suspicion held tight to every instinct kicked into overdrive. 

The other Noctis leaned close, careful and slow as he climbed into his lap. Noctis watched, his limbs trembling as he stiffened underneath the other's body. He was warm and solid, a strangely comforting weight that Noctis wanted to give into. But it was hard to ignore the red flags going off in his mind. He remained still, unmoving, swallowing hard as the other Noctis leaned closer, closer... 

“You're dying.”

A rather blunt statement. One that still managed to send a cold chill down his spine, making his fingers curl into fists against the floor. 

“You're dying, Noct, and I highly doubt this is where you wish your final resting place to be. Spare me your grievances, and let me _help_ you, Noct... It's only what you deserve.” The other Noctis smiled, and it was almost kind. Reassuring. 

Noctis felt himself relax underneath curious fingertips as they pried at his clothes. They started with his jacket, slipping it from his slender shoulders and down to the floor. Next his shirt was lifted from his body, over his head, a slow and gradual motion that left Noctis nearly entirely bare to the other. 

A glance downward showed him the full extent of the damage. The black seemed to stay in his limbs, nebulous and swirling at his shoulders and hips. The rest of his skin had paled, muted and pallid and woven through with the darkened patterns of his veins. They throbbed, and Noctis knew he should be hurting, but everything was just numb, stripped bare of any sensation. 

He barely felt the other Noctis's hand upon his abdomen, barely acknowledged the feeling of his warm lips against the skin of his neck. They mouthed at his weakened and fluttering jugular, firm and insistent as they traveled down. He managed to make Noctis shudder, his own hands wrapping around the warm, solid frame of himself that had settled itself completely and comfortably in his lap. 

Noctis whimpered as he pressed closer, unable to deny the attentions of the other any longer. Each languid swipe of fingers and tongue was so _warm,_ slowly bringing back the sensation in his unfeeling skin. Noctis arched against himself, a soft, stuttered plea for something more slipping past his bruised and stained lips. 

“I know,” Noctis heard himself murmur, warm palms caressing the sides of his hips. “Oh, my dear Noctis, I know...you're hurting _so much,_ but that's why I'm here, no? I will take such good care of you, my Noctis.” 

He couldn't help but nod, his eyes finding the dim, blue glimmer of his own in the darkness. He could see something reflected there, but between his unsteady gaze and the haze of something good, something _pleasurable_ taking over, it was impossible to focus on. He ignored it instead, letting the other Noctis slip lower with his mouth pressed to the plane of his breastbone. 

Faint sensations were all he could feel, yet the building pressure at the front of his pants gave away the fact he was getting hard. A warm blush managed to blossom out across his cheeks, splaying out like a butterfly's wings against them. He was ashamed, yet oddly entranced by all...all of this. 

Other people had told him he was pretty before, amongst other things, but he...he never actually thought he'd agree with them on quite this level. 

The other Noctis truly was stunning, with his smoldering gaze and his dewy lips. His fingers were pale like the moonlight, ghosting across his skin and leaving a trail of gooseflesh that made him shudder. Noctis was utterly enraptured by his own self, and he just watched as those fingers dipped underneath the hem of his pants and started to pull them down. 

Noctis moved with the motions, his hips moving of their own accord. His mind was in a haze, his muscles finally relaxing and feeling somewhat normal underneath the other Noctis's touch. It was like he was breathing life into him with every kiss to his flesh, making the black ebb and the knot in his stomach feel less like a ten pound weight. 

The other Noctis cradled him close, gently, like he was something special to be handled so carefully. His hands kneaded the flesh of Noctis's exposed ass, spreading the cheeks and dragging the sweetest of ragged noises from the depths of his lungs. 

Noctis leaned his head back with fluttering lashes, his hips jerking up on habit alone. The other Noctis's hands were so warm, almost like Ignis's. They brought nothing but sweet relief and gentle touches like Ignis's, too, and Noctis whimpered as he allowed himself to sink further down into them. 

Noctis's skin tingled, static and painful like a leg that had been sat on for far too long. Yet it felt good, the sensation bleeding out into his limbs and his cock that was thick and heavy against his abdomen. He heaved hard as he fought to focus on that instead, and from the amount of perspiration suddenly present on his skin, he was glad he'd taken the opportunity to down that drink from earlier. 

Yet the sight that awaited him below the belt was enough to utterly revolt him. He hadn't noticed it before, but admist the numbness of his limbs, things had...changed. His fingers had taken a more sharp quality about them, his nail beds elongating and stretching up into pointed tips. His skin, thin and stretched taut against his bones, seemed to prickle and bud in a sort of permanent rash. It hurt to move his joints, and it felt like splinters had embedded themselves underneath his skin. 

Even his cock had taken on a different texture. It rippled, and the skin protruded in subtle ridges underneath the foreskin. It wasn't terribly noticeable at first, but to someone who'd lived with it his entire life, the changes were as obvious and as stark as night and day. 

He swallowed hard, but his concerns were quickly halted as the other Noctis dipped low. In a show of bright, white teeth flashed behind a smile, he wrapped his plush lips around the head of Noctis's cock and started to suck. 

Noctis's world tilted entirely to the side, and he inhaled sharply as he fought the urge to come right then and there. Seeing his own self wrapped around his dick like that was positively _sinful._ He watched his own eyelashes flutter and fan out across his hollowed cheeks, so perfect and pale and practically glimmering in the dim lights of the room. He caught the gaze of two impossibly deep blue eyes on his own, and he heard his own voice utter a soft moan that he only dared make in the dead of night, entwined with Ignis, his mouth pressed flush against his lover's neck. 

Noctis let out a barely-restrained noise of his own, his tendons grating and pulling it from the very bottom of his diaphragm. He gasped hard and relished in the pain of his overworked muscles, opting to enjoy the stings of exertion rather than let them stunt his pleasure. It was hard, but with such a hot mouth wrapped around him like this, it was easy to let go and focus on what was kneeling before him. 

Noctis slid down the vending machine's front with a groan, every inch of his dick slipping further into a willing mouth. It was kind of gross, in hindsight, considering his lack of showering after gods knew how long he'd been out of one. The blackness left him feeling grimy, too, but the other Noctis was keen on sucking him deeper, his jaw stretching wide to accommodate his girth and length. 

In one absolutely _blissful_ moment he'd had Noctis swallowed entirely whole, and he couldn't help but gaze down at the other through squinted eyes, enamored. Seeing his own pink lips flush around his cock excited him more than it probably should have. Locking eyes only heightened the feeling, and the Noctis below him fluttered his eyelashes and bobbed his head playfully as he maintained eye conact. 

Noctis hissed sharply, uttering a curse underneath his breath as he moved with the other's motions. They moved together, groans and whines slipping past Noctis's lips, but just when he was _really_ getting into it, the other stopped. 

Two firm hands suddenly held him down against the floor, and Noctis whined pathetically in protest. He hadn't the strength to keep pushing, to insist they continue, but he hoped his wide, pleading eyes got his point across. 

The other Noctis pulled back to the tip, a thoughtful hum in the back of his throat. Noctis himself watched with a watering mouth, his hips twitching into the abstained attentions. 

Moments ticked by before the other Noctis reached out with his tongue, slowly and lazily swirling it around the head of his cock. The tip caught the beaded precum and smeared it over his slit, rendering Noctis into a puddle on the floor as he rubbed the viscous fluid against his shaft. The other Noctis's tongue dragged flat and hot against his skin, tracing veins in tandem with his fingertips, blunt nails and finger pads tugging his foreskin over the head. 

The other Noctis was pulling him apart like a stringed licorice treat, and he felt himself falling into a puddle of thick pleasure as he willingly let it choke him. The other Noctis was back to moving with his lips drawn tight around his cock, fucking him rapidly with his hot, slick mouth. Noctis cried out hard into the cold air, his fingers grasping desperately at the floor underneath himself. 

Noctis thrust into that mouth, desperate and hungry, eager to bury himself in a tight throat. He moved faster, heady noises following every thrust as he reached the brink of his limit. One hard thrust later and he- 

He cried out in outright _dismay._ A hand grasped his hip once more and pushed him firmly backwards against the floor, and the other Noctis pulled away from his cock with a prominent _pop,_ his free hand moving to squeeze the base of his cock. 

“Ah, not yet, not yet, my dear Noct,” he purred, leaning up to brush his lips against Noctis's. 

Noctis stuttered against them, tears slipping down his cheeks, thick and pearlescent as he quietly begged for more. 

“Later,” he heard himself promise. A finger replaced those lips, and dusky eyes peered into his own, imperceptible and as mysterious as the twilight. 

“Pl...please?” Noctis gasped, his voice nothing more than a breathless whisper, devoid of its usual tone. “Please, I...” 

_I felt so good. I felt_ normal.

The other Noctis nodded, tilting his chin up as he got to his feet. “Just wait here, and be a good boy for me, will you? The morrow will come, and I assure you, it'll bring sweet, sweet succor with it.” He purred, his voice as warm as honey and soothing his aching nerves. 

Noctis was helpless, only nodding wordlessly in compliance. His cock ached, and he wanted more, but one more tap of the other Noctis's finger to his lips sent him spiraling into a lulled state. His eyelids dragged down against his dried eyes, and it was suddenly much easier to cave into the exhaustion that held him in a vice grip at the back of his head. Even the concrete floor and the vending machine felt something akin to clouds, cushioning him as he began to fall. 

He could hear the other Noctis talking, murmuring sweet nothings and comforting him. He was vaguely aware of feeling weightless, like he was being carried elsewhere; but all of that faded as he drifted farther and farther from consciousness. 

He slipped into the most comforting state of rest yet, and Noctis felt as if he were being cradled by feathers and cushions instead of vending machines and hard floors. He nuzzled deeper into his tender nest, savoring the feeling of it against his fevered, tired skin. 

How long he'd slept, he didn't know. When he was this comfortable, he refused to even open his eyes. So he lay there still, in blissful ignorance until the faint feeling of something prodding against his side insisted he wake up. When next he opened his eyes, all was dark again, but the pulsing pink light of a monitor in the corner of the room caught his attention. Something was scraping against the side of the door of the room he was in, but yet he still lay there, oblivious to it all. Consciousness mimicked the eventide, dark and hazy and continuing to drag him down in a cycle he was helpless to fight.


End file.
